Action callsfor potholes

Speaking in parliament, Mr Findlay claimed one Paisley resident told him the roads in the area are “like the surface of the moon”.

Ms Hyslop responded at the time: “I am not going to diminish people’s experience of roads – as MSPs, we all understand what that is.

“However, the member could refer to the Scottish local government finance statistics for 2022/23.

“They show that the net revenue expenditure by local authorities on roads maintenance increased by 12.2 per cent, from £143 million in 2021/22 to £161m in 2022/23 – an increase of £18m.

“There is an issue with how local authorities spend their funding, but those statistics show that, despite difficult circumstances, local authorities spent significantly more on roads maintenance in that year than in the year before.”

Mr Findlay has since retorted: “While SNP ministers will receive a record £43 billion from the UK Government this year, they’ve starved councils of cash.

“The transport secretary needs to stop making excuses and start filling the potholes.”

When contacted about the condition of its roads, Renfrewshire Council defended the investment it has poured into bringing them up to standard.

A spokesperson said: “This year’s £5m investment in our roads and footway programme adds to the £6.7m allocated last year – meaning almost £12m will be invested in our roads network over a two-year period.

“This builds on the record investment we’ve committed in recent years which has shown to be successful through improved roads surfaces and footways, and the number of potholes requiring repair reducing significantly.

“Our resurfacing programme prioritises the roads identified as most in need of repair and these will be carried out along with any required pothole and emergency carriageway repairs required throughout the year.

“The latest local government benchmarking framework data revealed an improved performance for all road classifications in Renfrewshire.”

The council added it continues to invest to “ensure a safe roads network” in the area and welcomed suggested locations for future programmes.